With three consecutive start-ups of its engine after overnight soak in extreme cold(around -15ºC) conditions of Ladakh winter, that too without any external assistance, Tejas, the Indian Light Combat Aircraft has achieved yet another and a rare distinction.

Australian Qantas Aurlines together with Samsung Electronics Australia has launched a new trial entertainment service that uses Samsung virtual reality (VR) technology to give customers a spectacular three dimensional experience in a 360 degree style interactive format.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

On 25 January 2015, a pilot flying a Cirrus SR22 aircraft from the United States to Hawaii successfully deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) over the Pacific Ocean approximately 250 miles from Hawaii.

A Greek Air Force F-16 jet has crashed in Spain during a NATO training exercise.

The plane was taking part in an exercise in the framework of NATO’s Tactical Leadership Programme, which aims to improve multinational cooperation in air operations.
Ten people died and another 13 were injured after the plane crashed during takeoff.

Greece had earlier deployed four F-16 Block 50 aircraft supported by 41 persons pilots and technicians to the Air Base Los Llanos, in Albacete Spain from 111 Combat Wing, Nea Aghialos Air base.

SQNLDR Jackson will undergo an intensive training program before he takes his first flight in the coming months.

He will have an important future role as an Instructor Pilot for Australian and international F-35A pilots, and was selected for his operational flying skills, extensive experience and leadership.

The second Australian F-35A pilot, SQNLDR David Bell, will begin his training in mid-2015. SQNLDR Bell is a qualified Test Pilot.

The first Australian F-35A will arrive at the end of 2018 with the first operational squadron to be established by 2020. The F-35A will replace the aging F/A-18A/B Hornets at RAAF Bases Williamtown (NSW) and Tindal (NT).

Friday, January 23, 2015

Antonov have delivered the first An-70 medium-range airlifter to Ukrainian Armed Forces, following completion of developmental flight tests.

The An-70 is a high-wing monoplane with four wing-mounted propfan engines, it has a full glass cockpit and fly-by-wire controls. It will replace the obsolete An-12 airlifter.

The delivered aircraft is the second prototype which was extensively flight tested. The first prototype was lost in a mid-air collision during flight testing with a chase airplane in 1995.

The Short Take Off and Landing capability allow the airlifter to take off from unpaved airfield of 600-800 m length.

An-70 is powered by four 14000 shp D-27 turboprop engines with SV-27 scimitar counter-rotating props that ensure a high cruising speed and 20-30% fuel economy in comparison with modern turbojets.
AN-70 can perform a typical transport mission of 20 tonne payload to a range of 3000 km and can carry maximum 47 tonne of cargo.

Following delivery, Antonov will now begin aircraft serial production and develop its different modifications.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Indian Airforce officially inducted the first home built Light Combat Aircraft- Tejus, nearly 32 years after the program began.

The LCA Tejas Series Production-1 (SP1) was handed over by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to IAF Chief Air Marshal Arup Raha in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The Initial Operation Clearance (IOC) configuration LCA Tejus SP-1 flew for the first time last September and is being delivered with some improvements.

The fourth generation Tejas, is the smallest, light weight, single engine, single seat, supersonic, multirole, combat aircraft in its class in the world, designed to replace the large no of vintage MiG-21 fighters operated by IAF.

The quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system ensures acceptable handling qualities while ensuring adequate safety throughout the flight envelope. The advanced Glass cockpit open architecture system complements piloting.

Tejus has a wingspan of 8.2 m, length of 13.2 m and height of 4.4 m. With a maximum weight of 13.2 tonne, including 3.5 tonnes of weapons, Tejus can fly at a speed of 1.6 Mach, undergo +8g to -3.5g and reach service ceiling of 15 km.

IAF has placed order for 20 Tejas fighters in IOC configuration and 20 more in Final Operational Clearance (FOC) configuration.

Tejas achieved IOC in December 2013 and FOC is likely to be achieved by the end of 2015.
The second aircraft will also be ready by March 2015 for maiden flight.

Currently LCA Tejus has 60 percent indigenization, major imported content include the engine, the Elta multi mode radar co-produced with Israel and some Line Replaceble Units (LRU).

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will produce six aircraft next year (2015-16) and subsequently scale it up to eight and 16 aircraft per year, delivering the first 20 aircraft by 2017-18.

Tejus is being developed in single seat, two seat trainer and naval variants for land and carrier borne operations.

The program has built 15 aircraft for flight testing including seven in Limited Series Production (LSP), 2 Technology Demonstrators, 3 fighter prototype, 2 trainer prototype and 1 naval prototype.These aircraft have completed more than 2800 flights.

A more capable airforce variant-Tejus Mk2 will follow after the development of Mk1 variant is completed by 2015.

The Mk2 variant will feature a more powerful GE 414 IN20 engine, and would be slightly bigger in size.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

The mission to recover the crashed AirAsia QZ 8501 aircraft main fuselage from bottom of Java Sea, continued to be hampered by a thunderstorm that surrounded the primary search area with sea waves reported around 3-5 meters high.

NASA is carrying out a series of grueling flight-testing on FleXSys FlexFoil Variable Geometry Control Surface- shape changing control surfaces, as a part of its Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge(ACTE) program that began last October and achieved first flight test on last November.

The UK built Beagle 2 Mars Lander, thought lost on Mars since 2003, has been found partially deployed on the surface of the planet, ending the mystery of what happened to the mission more than a decade ago.

A squadron of Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighter jets has arrived at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to take part in the largest, most realistic and challenging air combat exercise in the world- Red Flag, that commences on 26 January.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

US Air Force TV released the latest episode of the Air Force's flagship television program, BLUE. This episode of BLUE was shot on location at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, features the Airmen who work together to fix, fuel and fly F-22 Raptor, showcasing everyone from Air Traffic Controllers to Air Battle Managers, Maintenance Technicians to Fuels Specialists. The viewers will see what it takes America's most advanced fighter jet, the F-22 Raptor from ground to air.